Most EPC provisions governing the calculation of time limits, such as Art. 120 EPC, Rules 131, 133(1) (provided that the document referred to in that provision has been received no later than one month after expiry of the period) and 134 EPC, apply mutatis mutandis to Unitary Patent proceedings (Rule 20(2)(g) UPR).
However, some periods differ from those provided for in the EPC. These were modified to keep the overall duration of the procedure for requesting unitary effect reasonably short, in line with Regulation (EU) No 1257/2012. In particular, Rule 20(4) UPR sets a minimum period of one month instead of two. Also, the UPR do not contain a provision equivalent to Rule 132(2), last sentence, EPC. Rule 20(4) UPR provides a legal basis, allowing the UPP Division to set such periods between one and four months. As such, a specified period may be neither less than one month nor more than four months. As a rule, a period related to the request for unitary effect will be set to one month; for other communications, two months. Further processing (i.e. as under Rule 135 EPC) does not apply to periods specified by the UPP Division.
Once a period specified by the UPP Division under Rule 20(4) UPR is set, it cannot be extended, i.e. the rule does not provide for an equivalent to Rule 132(2), last sentence, EPC.